whos the best at sharpening?

devolve · Sep 17, 2017

I haven't hunted with my recurve yet cause I cant get these dang things sharp. I'm not hunting with the muzzy BH anymore because there is lack of a half way decent blood trail on 3 deer.

I've been through all the videos, the tutorial's and even a one on one how too.

Somehow A single bevel grizzly is only thing on the planet I cant get sharp. I'm the guy my buddies bring their knives too to sharpen. I have successfully gotten 2 of these things sharp enough to hunt with over the last 7 or 8 years.

I have 5 of the new style that are "easier" to sharpen. I can't get them to shaving sharp.

Who can I ship them too with a quick turn around to get sharp?

thanks!

Dennis · Sep 18, 2017

I don't think it has to be shaving sharp just pretty sharp and in the right place will get the job done. That's what I've always been depending on since I'm not real good at sharpening things

bam_bam · Sep 18, 2017

I just use a files and strop it on leather afterwards. Only head I've ever had trouble getting sharp is a zwicky no mercy single bevel. I think there are two schools of thought on sharpening. One being not necessarily shaving sharp but a somewhat rough edge and the other a keen edge that pops hairs. Both get the job done.

devolve · Sep 18, 2017

I can get any double bevel shaving sharp. That's how I always knew it was ready to go. This is just frustrating beyond words.

Hillbilly stalker · Sep 18, 2017

Its all about the angle. Try using sandpaper instead of a crock stick or file. Unless the edge had been trashed on a rock or leg bone, sand paper works for me and then a strop. Go to the dollar store and get one of those old type window scrapers that used a razor, they will hold the BH for you and save some cuts. You can sharpen them off the arrow that way. P.S ( it wasn't the muzzy) shot placement and some deer just don't bleed.

SELFBOW · Sep 18, 2017

Dennis said:
I don't think it has to be shaving sharp just pretty sharp and in the right place will get the job done. That's what I've always been depending on since I'm not real good at sharpening things

Right. I stink at sharpening but know they are sharp enough to do the job.

sawtooth · Sep 18, 2017

I wouldn't get too caught up on the "shaving sharp" part. Honestly, in my experience, If you achieve razor sharpness- then you have gotten your edge too thin. Remember, different tools are designed for different jobs. Why don't you carve a turkey or cut your steak with a straight razor? Because it's not the tool best suited for that job. I don't need reminding that a sharp edge cuts and slices cleaner than a rough edge, but this ain't an operating room scenario that we're talking about either. I've never had to "shave" an animal that I shot at. All I want my broadhead to do is poke two holes. Sharpen your heads with a file, and then strop them on something like leather or cardboard. Drag the blade down your thumbnail- if it catches then that's plenty good.

Pointpuller · Sep 19, 2017

Im gonna have to disagree a little. My heads are gonna shave the hair on my arm with no resistance or they are not going in my quiver. Ive sharpened the same Phantom heads for nearly 30 years, long before Muzzy bought them out. I use a butchers steel to sharpen the main 2 blade head. I put the bleeder blades in vice grips to sharpen on the same sharpening steel.
Y'all can say what you want about punching holes through both lungs with anything but Im not buying it. I once shot a doe with my dull snake arrow(4 blade)broadhead by accident. Center punched her through both lungs. DULL Broadhead. Trailed her up after sitting in tree for another 3 hours. She was badly sick but still alive. Had to shoot her again with a sharp head to finish her off. If it aint shaving hair easily you don't need to be shooting it. Just my opinion from lots of experience.

SELFBOW · Sep 20, 2017

Pointpuller said:
Im gonna have to disagree a little. My heads are gonna shave the hair on my arm with no resistance or they are not going in my quiver. Ive sharpened the same Phantom heads for nearly 30 years, long before Muzzy bought them out. I use a butchers steel to sharpen the main 2 blade head. I put the bleeder blades in vice grips to sharpen on the same sharpening steel.
Y'all can say what you want about punching holes through both lungs with anything but Im not buying it. I once shot a doe with my dull snake arrow(4 blade)broadhead by accident. Center punched her through both lungs. DULL Broadhead. Trailed her up after sitting in tree for another 3 hours. She was badly sick but still alive. Had to shoot her again with a sharp head to finish her off. If it aint shaving hair easily you don't need to be shooting it. Just my opinion from lots of experience.

You reckon primitive man shaved w the heads he used?
A field point will kill when placed in the right spot.
I find it extremely hard to believe you center punched one and it didn't die quickly, sounds like a bad shot instead.

I've got enough "experience" to say it doesn't have to be hair shaving sharp to kill.....

oldfella1962 · Sep 20, 2017

bam_bam said:
I just use a files and strop it on leather afterwards. Only head I've ever had trouble getting sharp is a zwicky no mercy single bevel. I think there are two schools of thought on sharpening. One being not necessarily shaving sharp but a somewhat rough edge and the other a keen edge that pops hairs. Both get the job done.

I've never owned a single bevel - maybe I won't now if they are hard to sharpen. I use Zwicky Eskimos and they are easy to sharpen with a file, leather strop (I use the back of my shooting glove) and a final strop on cotton jeans. You can definitely shave with them!

Pointpuller · Sep 20, 2017

SELFBOW said:
You reckon primitive man shaved w the heads he used?
A field point will kill when placed in the right spot.
I find it extremely hard to believe you center punched one and it didn't die quickly, sounds like a bad shot instead.

I've got enough "experience" to say it doesn't have to be hair shaving sharp to kill.....

Ive killed over 120 big game animals with a bow so yes I would say Ive got a little experience. Since you questioned my shot placement on a center punched double lung shot with a dull broadhead Ive got to call you out. Maybe those limb rats you like to post pics of can't handle a dull head but I can promise you a deer I shot broadside, through the center of both lungs with a dull BH was still alive 3 hours later. If you don't have enough respect for the critters your hunting to learn how to sharpen your heads or to get off your wallet and buy new ones each shot you get zero respect from me.

P.S. Its pretty sad when you get called out on the traditional forum with a disrespectful and ignorant/uninformed post.

SELFBOW · Sep 21, 2017

Pointpuller said:
Ive killed over 120 big game animals with a bow so yes I would say Ive got a little experience. Since you questioned my shot placement on a center punched double lung shot with a dull broadhead Ive got to call you out. Maybe those limb rats you like to post pics of can't handle a dull head but I can promise you a deer I shot broadside, through the center of both lungs with a dull BH was still alive 3 hours later. If you don't have enough respect for the critters your hunting to learn how to sharpen your heads or to get off your wallet and buy new ones each shot you get zero respect from me.

P.S. Its pretty sad when you get called out on the traditional forum with a disrespectful and ignorant/uninformed post.

Go back to biology class so you can understand what happens to a lung when a broadhead passes thru it and why it can no longer function and the deer dies. If one is clipped, that's another story but "center punched" has no chance of functioning for very long.

That's for the ignorant/uninformed so they can learn......
Ive only got 80+ deer, pig and bear kills w a bow so I'm still learning.

Hillbilly stalker · Sep 21, 2017

If you ever grab ahold of a obsidian head "primitive man " made, you will find out what sharp is. Nothing can touch it, just saying.

SELFBOW · Sep 21, 2017

Hillbilly stalker said:
If you ever grab ahold of a obsidian head "primitive man " made, you will find out what sharp is. Nothing can touch it, just saying.

Flakes are razors! I've made some pretty decent blood trails w obsidian, coming from my hand...

northgeorgiasportsman · Sep 21, 2017

devolve said:
I haven't hunted with my recurve yet cause I cant get these dang things sharp. I'm not hunting with the muzzy BH anymore because there is lack of a half way decent blood trail on 3 deer.

I've been through all the videos, the tutorial's and even a one on one how too.

Somehow A single bevel grizzly is only thing on the planet I cant get sharp. I'm the guy my buddies bring their knives too to sharpen. I have successfully gotten 2 of these things sharp enough to hunt with over the last 7 or 8 years.

With a single bevel, you're only sharpening one side of the blade, but are you removing the burr formed from sharpening. Sharpening only one side will cause a burr to form on the opposite side and cause a little micro curl to the edge. If you're not removing the burr, it will never shave.

Nicodemus · Sep 21, 2017

Some of the Native American tribes resharpened their newly acquired steel blade knives on a single bevel. They noted that they cut better that way.

As for obsidian, freshly knapped it is about 600 times sharper than the finest surgical scalpels.

NCHillbilly · Sep 21, 2017

With steel points, I prefer a ragged filed edge to a shaving edge, myself. Just when the burr starts to form, but before it starts to curl. It makes wicked cuts. You can't hardly touch one without springing a leak.

northgeorgiasportsman · Sep 21, 2017

NCHillbilly said:
With steel points, I prefer a ragged filed edge to a shaving edge, myself. Just when the burr starts to form, but before it starts to curl. It makes wicked cuts. You can't hardly touch one without springing a leak.

In my experience, that burr can be best utilized with a sharpening steel. When the burr begins to curl, a few licks on the steel will stand it straight up again. Its like thousands of tiny serrations.

That's what stropping does. It folds the burr over, first one way, then the other until it breaks off, leaving a polished razor's edge.

Or at least that's the way my mind sees it. I've got really good vision, but I can't see at a micron level.

NCHillbilly · Sep 21, 2017

northgeorgiasportsman said:
In my experience, that burr can be best utilized with a sharpening steel. When the burr begins to curl, a few licks on the steel will stand it straight up again. Its like thousands of tiny serrations.

That's what stropping does. It folds the burr over, first one way, then the other until it breaks off, leaving a polished razor's edge.

Or at least that's the way my mind sees it. I've got really good vision, but I can't see at a micron level.

Yep. I like it just before it's ready to break off, with the thousands of tiny serrations. You get one shot with it, but it does some wicked, wicked damage. I also sharpen my stone points with a really fine pressure flaker to get those micro-serrations.

Pointpuller · Sep 21, 2017

SELFBOW said:
Go back to biology class so you can understand what happens to a lung when a broadhead passes thru it and why it can no longer function and the deer dies. If one is clipped, that's another story but "center punched" has no chance of functioning for very long.

That's for the ignorant/uninformed so they can learn......
Ive only got 80+ deer, pig and bear kills w a bow so I'm still learning.

Selfbow I strongly disagree with your assessment but Im going to Pm you with my response as I don't want to bring the traditional thread into the muck that the rest of GON gravitates to when there is a difference of opinions.

whos the best at sharpening?

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